Behind a season’s best 58.3% shooting night, the Missouri Tigers jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back in an 81-70 win over South Carolina on Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena. A 10-0 run to start the game sparked the victory. Jeremiah Tilmon continued to lead offensively finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, three blocked shots, and two assists. Tilmon now has four double-doubles in his last six games. Senior guard Mark Smith broke out of his slump with three 3-pointers en route to 18 points.
As good as the offensive effort was, Cuonzo Martin preaches defense and the Tigers were solid on that end. Mizzou held the SEC’s leading scorer A.J. Lawson to five points on 2-of-9 shooting. South Carolina committed 13 turnovers and shot just 29 percent from beyond the arc. Mizzou dished 16 assists as a team and finished with 40 points in the paint and 20 fastbreak points as the offense buzzed for all 40 minutes.
The play that stuck out to me and set the tone for the rest of the game came at the start of the second half, when Tilmon blocked a shot on the defensive end and finished with a one-handed dunk.
Outstanding Defense ✅
All-Out Hustle ✅
Rock the Rim ✅#SCtop10 | @jeremiahtilmon_ pic.twitter.com/rEkEjrRV15
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) January 20, 2021